90th General Assembly
Summary of SB0559
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Senate Sponsors:
WATSON.

House Sponsors:
BLACK

Short description: 
SCH CD-HEARING OFFICERS                                                    

Synopsis of Bill as introduced:
        Amends the School Code.  Provides  that  a  person  must  have  a      
   minimum  of  5  years  of  experience  in  cases  involving  labor and      
   employment relations between  educational  employers  and  educational      
   employees  or  their collective bargaining representatives in order to      
   be included on State  Board  of  Education  lists  for  service  as  a      
   prospective   hearing  officer  in  proceedings  for  the  removal  or      
   dismissal for cause of  downstate  teachers.   Revises  the  procedure      
   under  which  hearing  officers  may  be selected in such proceedings,      
   providing  for  a  second  list  and  for  an  alternative   selection      
   procedure.  Eliminates the $300 maximum per diem for a hearing officer      
   and also eliminates a requirement that the hearing be public if either      
   the  teacher  or  school board request.  Requires a hearing officer to      
   make a decision within 30 days from the conclusion of the hearing, and      
   adds provisions relative to removal of  a  hearing  officer  from  the      
   master  list  of  hearing  officers  and  for rehearing of a case if a      
   hearing  officer  fails  to  render  a  timely  decision.    Effective      
   immediately.                                                                
        SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1.                                                
        Changes the 5 year experience requirement for hearing officers         
   from experience "in cases involving" certain labor and employment           
   relations matters to experience "directly related to" those matters.        
   Deletes a proposal to eliminate the requirement of a written warning        
   before setting a hearing on charges if the teacher's conduct is crimi-      
   nal or injures or endangers the health and safety of students. Extends      
   until 30 days from the closure of the record (if that is later than 30      
   days after the conclusion of the hearing) the time by which a hearing       
   officer is to make a decision, and changes from not "less" than 24          
   months to not "more" than 24 months the period for which a hearing          
   officer, who without good cause fails to make a decision within the         
   applicable 30 days period, may have his or her name stricken from the       
   list of hearing officers. Provides that the failure of a hearing            
   officer to render a decision within a specified 3 month period must         
   be without good cause in order for the State Board of Education to          
   be required to provide the parties with a new list of prospective           
   hearing officers and in order for the name of the hearing officer to        
   be removed from the master list of hearing officers. Provides that          
   the changes made by the amendatory Act apply to hearings requested          
   after its effective date.                                                   
          FISCAL NOTE (State Bd. of Ed.)                                       
          Estimated FY98 budget would need to be at least $385,000 if the      
          cap is lifted.                                                       
          STATE MANDATES FISCAL NOTE (SBE)                                     
          No change from SBE fiscal note.                                      
          FISCAL NOTE, REVISED (State Bd. of Ed.)                              
          No change from previous fiscal note.                                 
          STATE MANDATES FISCAL NOTE, REVISED (State Bd. of Ed.)               
          No change from previous State mandates note.                         
 
Last action on Bill: PUBLIC ACT.............................. 90-0224

   Last action date: 97-07-25

           Location: Senate

 Amendments to Bill: AMENDMENTS ADOPTED: HOUSE -   0     SENATE -   1


   END OF INQUIRY 



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